Take My Hand and Let's Go
by VampireNaomi
Summary: Gilbert signs up for dance lessons because a friend's wedding is coming up but soon realises that he's more interested in his teacher than learning anything. Prumano. Rated for language.


I wrote this for **rniq** in the Prumano Secret Santa event because their original Santa had to drop out. The prompt was dance teacher Romano.

**TAKE MY HAND AND LET'S GO**

_The Colosseum._

Gilbert looked at the blocky font on the sign and figured that he had come to the right place. This had to be the dance studio he had found online and where he had signed up for a lesson in the afternoon. It had taken him some time to find the building as it was hidden in a tiny, shadowy back alley that was barely wide enough for two people to pass each other. It didn't look like the kind of place that got lots of business.

But that suited him just fine. He didn't want everybody to see him walk into a dance studio because then they might think that he, Gilbert Beilschmidt, the man who was a legend in all the night clubs in the city, needed dancing lessons.

Which he did, but that was beside the point.

He opened the door and stepped inside. There was a small reception area that was currently uninhabited, so he spent a moment looking at the old posters and photos on the walls. Many of them showed people dancing – balette, waltz, tango and plenty of other dances he didn't recognise. One person showed up in many of the pictures, a tall, burly man with a big grin on his face.

"Hello!"

Gilbert turned around at the cheerful voice that came from behind him. He found himself face to face with one of the cutest guys he had ever seen. That bright smile just made him want to eat him right up, and he decided that if he was the teacher, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Oh, hey! How's it going?" he asked.

"Are you here for a dance lesson? Lovino said we're having a customer tonight. We just started, so we don't have many regulars yet."

"Yeah, I'm Gilbert. I've got a private lesson at four."

"Great! I'm Feliciano Vargas, and I run this place with my brother Lovino. He'll be ready for you in a minute."

"Oh, so he's teaching me?" Gilbert tried not to feel disappointed. If Lovino was Feliciano's brother, maybe he was a total cutie-pie, too.

"Yeah, he only teaches private lessons. I take care of all the groups. Lovino's not so good with people, so I think that works better." Feliciano hopped to Gilbert's side and pointed at the photos he had been looking at. "That's my Grandpa! He was a famous dancer when he was younger. He's retired now, but he still loves dancing."

"I guess it runs in the family, huh?"

"Uh-huh. Look, here's a photo of me and Grandpa after I won my first solo competition. And here's another! I won a lot of prizes when I was a kid."

"Oh, cool. You still compete?"

"Yeah, but I'm taking a break now because I had an accident last year and need to recover. That's why Grandpa suggested we start this studio so that there's something to do while I get better."

Gilbert searched the wall to find similar photos with a different child, but he couldn't spot anything.

"What about your brother?"

"Well, Lovino had some trouble when he was younger, so he didn't win very often, and then he lost interest in competing around the time I got really good. But he's great! He just gets a little nervous under pressure."

Gilbert couldn't say it sounded very promising. He wanted to be taught by the best, and if his teacher had never even got a ribbon in a kids' competition, how good could he be? He was taking lessons because of an important reason, so he didn't want to leave his future in the hands of some second-rate loser.

"Hey, how about you teach me inste –" he started, but Feliciano let out a sudden happy whoop and dashed past him like he hadn't heard a single word he had said.

"Lovino! Look! Your student is here!"

Gilbert turned around. The man who had entered the lobby was clearly Feliciano's brother. He was a little taller, his hair and skin were both a shade darker, but he had the same lean built and facial features. The most obvious difference was that Feliciano had a perpetual smile on his face whereas Lovino looked like he had just smelled something really bad.

"You're early," Lovino said. He gave Gilbert a long look from head to toes and went to take a peek at the book at the reception. "I noticed earlier that you've only signed up for one lesson."

"Yeah, I figure that's all I need to master this thing. I'm a natural talent!"

"Tch. We'll see. The dressing room is over there, so get changed and drag your ass to the side studio. Last door on the right." With that, Lovino turned around on his heels and walked back into the corridor where he had come from.

"I bet you that's the reason you don't have many regulars," Gilbert said.

"Oh, the groups are pretty full! And Lovino gets along fine with women. I think he's just a little worried about having a guy as a student."

"Why? Does he think I'm going to grope him or something?"

"No, no! He's just a little difficult. But once he gets used to you, it's okay!"

Well, Gilbert wasn't going to give him the time to get used to him. He'd have this one lesson, and after that he was sure his needs would have been met. How difficult could it be to learn to waltz?

He changed into a black sleeveless top and loose trousers in the dressing room and went to look for Lovino in the smaller studio. There was a larger one across the hall, and he supposed that was for Feliciano and his groups. Maybe he should have signed up for his class instead, but he didn't have a partner (Ludwig had said no), and he had thought if it came to that, it'd be better to master his skills with a private teacher first and then join a group so that he could impress everyone.

"Okay, I'm ready! Let's do this!" he announced when he entered.

Lovino was fiddling with a small stereo system in the corner and looked up from the CDs in his hands.

"It said under your info that you want to learn to waltz and tango. Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's because my friend is getting married, and it's going to be a grand wedding, so I figure I need to add a few dances to my repertoire." And that was an understatement. Francis had a taste for fancy shit, so Gilbert was sure that if he wanted to look good among the guests, he had to learn some classy dances. He just couldn't afford to mess up. Not only was Francis getting married, but Antonio was going to bring his new boyfriend to the wedding and introduce him to everyone. Gilbert didn't want to be the only one without a date, so he had to pick up someone on the dance floor.

"What do you already know?" Lovino asked.

Gilbert began to list all the dances he could ace, and the further down the list he got, the sourer the expression on Lovino's face grew.

"Those aren't dances," he grumbled. "All you have to do is shake your ass and not care about rhythm because the songs you dance them to don't have one! I think we need to start from the basics with you. Which first, waltz or tango?"

"Uh, waltz, I guess."

"Whatever." Lovino put the CDs down and walked over to him. Without another word, he grabbed Gilbert's hands and placed one of them on his waist. "I assume you want to learn the role of the guy. So I'll be your woman, but if you say anything funny or laugh, I'm kicking you out and banning you for life!"

"Hey, I can be seriousness personified when I want to!"

Lovino placed his hand on Gilbert's shoulder and cleared his throat. He kept his eyes glued to the other's chest and wouldn't look at him as he spoke, and Gilbert couldn't help but think back to what Feliciano had said. He wondered if anything would come out of this if Lovino was going to be this nervous all the way through.

"Right, you're the guy, so you start with your left foot. You lead and I follow, but since you're no doubt going to be shit at this, I'll tell you what to do."

"You remember that I'm paying you for this, right? Is that a way to talk to a customer?"

"Walk out if you don't like it. My school, my rules."

If it hadn't been for the fact that the wedding was in two weeks and he wasn't sure if he could find another teacher in time, Gilbert probably would have. He hated it when people talked to him like they were better, and it didn't help that they were engaged in an activity in which Lovino actually _was_ better. On the other hand, being treated like this worked him up into a fighting spirit, and he decided he was going to be so good at waltz that it would leave Lovino weeping in admiration.

Unfortunately, like it tended to be with a great number of things in life, success didn't come right away or easily. They went over the basic steps of waltz, the correct way to turn and the acceptable directions to take the dance to. That was no problem; Gilbert was good at memorizing regular patterns.

No, the problem was something else entirely.

"What the hell do you have flowing in your veins? Liquid iron? I've never seen anyone as stiff as you! There's no flow or grace in your movements at all! Look, follow my lead for now." Lovino switched their positions around so that he had his hand on Gilbert's waist and was directing their steps.

The sudden role reversal seemed to have killed Lovino's nervousness, and Gilbert found himself doing as he said without a comment. Lovino was good at what he did, he had to admit, and he was sure he would have started to get the hang of it if it hadn't been for the fact that he found himself distracted by the weight of his hand on his waist and the determined look in his eyes. It was a strange feeling to let another guy tell him what to do.

"Shit, this is no good," Lovino said when the lesson was almost over. "You're going to need a lot more practice if you don't want everyone to laugh at you at the wedding. And we didn't even get started on tango, yet! So much for learning it all at once."

Gilbert swallowed his irritation and decided to treat the lessons as a challenge. He couldn't back down, no matter how much Lovino was getting under his skin.

"Any chance you've got time to sign me up for a few more lessons, then?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? I'm not going to let you walk out of here with those shitty moves and tell everyone you had a lesson with me. Either you learn to dance, or you're stuck with me for the rest of your life!"

And that was how Gilbert ended up signing up for two more lessons. The next one went very much like the first one, but he felt he made some progress. At least Lovino didn't yell at him as much as before, and he even got a few words of reluctant praise out of him when figured out how to bend his knees the right way as they slid around the floor.

"So, how come you became a dance teacher?" he asked after the lesson.

Lovino turned off the music and took out the CD, not looking at him.

"Family curse," he replied.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"You've seen the lobby." Lovino snorted and made a vague gesture with his hand. "Everyone in my family dances. They made me start when I could barely walk, and then I just went with the flow."

"So, you don't actually like doing this?"

"What is this, a cross-examination? Of course I like dancing. What I don't like is having to teach it to dumbasses who suck at it and don't appreciate it for what it is."

"With that stuck-up attitude, you should be a competitor and not a teacher."

The sound that left Lovino's throat was something between a grunt and a bark of laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm not good enough for that!"

"Why not? I think you're pretty good."

"And that just shows how much you suck. Being good isn't enough for a competitive career. You need real talent. Like Grandpa. Or Feli."

The resentment in Lovino's voice was thick, and Gilbert couldn't help but think back to the photos in the lobby. So many pictures of Feliciano or their grandfather with the prizes, but barely anything that showed the older one of the brothers.

"Yeah. I guess it must suck if everyone in your family is more talented than you. Not that I have any experience with that, but I'm equipped with a good imagination." Lovino's glare darkened at his words, and he hurried to patch things up before the other blew up. "But hey, they're sort of acting like dicks towards you! How come there are no photos of you on the walls? Talk about rubbing it in, huh?"

"There were photos of me. I just took them down," Lovino muttered.

"What? Now I'm not following you."

"Tch, idiot. What's the point of putting up photos of me when I never achieved anything like them? I don't need their pity."

"Wow, you've got some issues if you think being nice is the same as pity."

"What the hell do you know? Besides, your lesson ended ten minutes ago. Get out of here. I need to start with the next student."

Gilbert pointed both of his hands and the empty studio. "There's nobody here but us."

Lovino made a face and dug out his phone from the backpack by the wall. He swore under his breath after touching the screen a couple of times and tossed the phone back.

"Let me guess, someone had to cancel?"

"Maybe, but that still gives you no right to be here and waste my time."

"What if I sign up for an extra lesson, starting right now?"

"Why would you?"

"I'm feeling pretty confident in myself right now. I want to try tango!"

Lovino snorted. "You don't even have the basics of waltz down yet. Tango is far more difficult."

"Try me."

"Tch. It's your money you're wasting."

Lovino showed him the correct starting position for tango and told him to relax. Gilbert thought it was funny he'd say that as it was obvious he was the one who needed to do it. Lovino's whole frame was stiff, the hand holding his was almost crushing his fingers, and his lips formed an angry line.

"Since you can't do waltz gracefully, I doubt this will go anywhere, but this is how you have to step. Not straight. Twist your hips a little."

"Like this?"

"No, but let's settle with that. I can't expect anything more from a German."

Lovino's instructions were laced with more insults than was the norm, and Gilbert had to ask himself why he was letting him treat him that way instead of just walking out. But there was something about Lovino's earlier words that resonated with him. He had a brother, too. An amazing one. He loved him more than anyone else in the world, but every now and then someone reminded him of the fact that Ludwig was successful in almost every aspect of life and was the model son any parent would love to have. Gilbert had learned not to let it bother him a long time ago, but he could understand where Lovino was coming from.

"Whoopsie," he said as he messed up on purpose so that Lovino tripped over his feet and lost his balance. It was only Gilbert's hand on his back that stopped him from falling over, and for a moment they stayed in the awkward dipping position until Lovino finally straightened himself, face red with anger.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Learning to dance?"

"You're shit at this! My turn to lead and show you how it's done! I pity the poor woman who's going to have to dance with you!"

The rest of the lesson didn't go any better, but Gilbert wasn't actually aiming to learn anything. They said tango was the dance of passion, and he wanted to let Lovino exhaust his anger with it. He fumbled along as Lovino led him, and at some point the other stopped trying to teach him and just danced, his movements fast and heated.

They came to a halt when the music stopped, and Gilbert realised they had danced through the entire CD. At first, Lovino made no move to let go of him and simply stared at him in confusion, like he was slowly coming back from some sort of trance.

"What the hell? How long did we take?" He hurried to take a look at his phone and then turned to glare at him. "Look how late it is! Why didn't you say anything?"

Gilbert shrugged. "You seemed really into it. I didn't want to stop you."

"Yeah, right." Lovino ran his fingers through his hair that was messy with sweat. He looked tired and maybe a little lost with the way he didn't know where to direct his eyes. "Listen, about that shit I said earlier, forget it. That was dumb."

"Nah, I don't mind. Everyone feels down sometimes."

"I don't even know you. You shouldn't have to listen to me complain about my crappy life."

"About that, are you sure it's that bad? This is a pretty awesome job if you ask me. You get to work with what you like. And who gives a shit if your brother is better than you? There's always someone who's better."

Lovino let out a snort. "Easy for you to say. You don't have a family where there's only one thing that matters. When I said I wanted to stop competing, they didn't even try to convince me otherwise. I guess it wasn't important since they had Feli."

"Or maybe they thought you were sick of competing and didn't want to pressure you? You ever think of that?"

"Do you think I'm dumb? Of course I have!"

"Then why not believe that instead of the shitty version? You need to learn to think more positively. That's the first step to being happy!"

"What are you, my life coach?"

"Why not? You're just as bad at having the right attitude as I'm at these fancy-schmancy dances."

"If that's your attempt at weaselling out of paying me, forget it. No exchanging favours. You're paying for the lesson and the extra time."

"Man, here you go again, thinking the worst of people. You're hopeless. You need to be exposed to more positive thinking."

Gilbert headed for the dressing room and had a quick shower before changing. The lobby was dark and deserted, but he could still see light in the studio, so he guessed Lovino wasn't about to leave yet. The two of them were probably the only people left in the building.

That guy could sure use a drink, he thought as he was heading to the front door. He almost turned back and called out for Lovino to accompany him, but then he thought it would be stupid. Like Lovino had said, they didn't even know each other.

On the other hand, he thought as he was emerging from the ally and entering a bigger street, how were two people ever going to _get_ to know each other if they didn't do things together?

He entered the first supermarket he could find and bought a bottle of wine and some paper cups. It was silly, and Lovino would probably kick him out – if he was even at the studio anymore, which was pretty unlikely – but Gilbert realised that he really wanted to do this. Lovino needed some cheering up, and what would be more effective than getting to spend time with the most awesome guy in the world?

The front door was unlocked when he returned. He stepped inside and saw that there was still light in the smaller studio. Music was flowing from the room, and he wondered if Lovino was dancing to clear his head. Careful not to be heard, he crept closer so that he could spy on him and see how he moved when he doing it for himself.

But when he peeked into the studio, it wasn't anything like he was imagining. Lovino wasn't dancing; he was sitting on the floor and glaring at his feet as he listened to the music. It was the same tango CD they had used for practise, and the melancholy bandoneon and violin made him seem even more like a sulky puppy. Gilbert wanted to pat him on the head and make him smile, just to see what he'd look like.

"Hey!" he called out and waved at him from the entrance.

Lovino looked up in surprise. "You still haven't left?"

"I did, but I came back!"

"Did you forget something?"

"Sort of. Look what I've got." Gilbert took the wine from his backpack and walked over to Lovino where he placed the bottle at his feet.

"Crap wine. Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"I was thinking we could drink it."

He was expecting Lovino to put up a fight, but the other just grabbed the bottle and began to unscrew the metal cork. When he was done, he brought the bottle up to his lips, tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

"Wow, you really needed that, huh?"

Lovino made a disgusted face at the taste and put the bottle back down on the floor. Gilbert took it and had a swig, too, figuring that they didn't need the cups after all. He sat down on the floor, and for a while they kept passing the bottle between each other.

"Right, so what's eating you? Don't tell me my question about your job was enough to get you this down," Gilbert said after some time.

"Don't make yourself out to be more important than you are, dumbass. It's not your fault. I've just been feeling like shit lately anyway."

"Why?"

Lovino shot him a dark glare from under his brows, and Gilbert couldn't help but marvel how intense his eyes could get when he was in a bad mood. He wondered how he'd look if there was a different but just as powerful emotion welling up inside him.

"What is it to you?" Lovino asked.

"You're my dance teacher! I figure if there's something influencing your performance, I have the right to know. Since I'm paying for this and stuff."

"My problems have no effect on my work!"

Gilbert let out a bark of laughter. "Pfft! A dance teacher who has issues with dancing? Of course it's going to have an effect on your work!"

"Even if it is, you aren't on such a level that you'd notice! I can teach amateurs just fine. That's probably all I'm good for anyway."

Gilbert said nothing. He had the feeling Lovino was going to keep talking whether he prodded him or not.

"I was lying earlier. I actually do like teaching here," Lovino said. "There are lots of idiots in the bunch, but usually everybody improves at least a little. It makes me feel like I'm doing something that has a point."

"Then what's the problem?"

"That there isn't a point, not really! We founded this studio because Feli had to take a break from his career and recover after his injury. He can teach, but he can't yet take the kind of hard training that competitive dancing requires. He saw his physiotherapist today, and he's getting better. And that's great. But what do you think is going to happen to the studio when he picks up his career?"

"If he's too busy to teach classes, why can't you run the place?"

"Like that would work! The only reason anyone even comes here is because Feli is famous!"

"I had never even heard of him when I signed up."

"That's because you're an uncultured dumbass."

"And I bet so are a lot of people who want dance lessons! They probably have no idea who your brother is, or at the very least they only recognise the name Vargas. And guess what? You're a Vargas, too!"

"Mmh."

"Don't look at me like that! I'm always right! So pick yourself up from the floor already! Even if you aren't as good a dancer as your brother, who gives a shit? Dancing doesn't measure you as a person. I mean, look at me! I can't dance, and I'm still awesome!"

"Is being lumped together with you supposed to make me feel better? I'm just getting depressed, dammit." Lovino grabbed the bottle and brought it up to his lips, but then he thought otherwise and put it away from his reach. "I shouldn't have any more. I've got someone coming for a lesson in the morning."

"I bet you're going to sleep like a baby tonight after I got rid of your problems."

"You didn't get rid of anything. But thanks, I guess. I'll think about what you said."

"See, sometimes it takes a total stranger to tell you the things that you're too blind to see yourself! I deserve a reward. How about I get the next lesson for half the price?"

"Dream on!"

"But I paid for the wine, too!"

"It was the cheapest muck they sell. Doesn't count. And now get out of here so that I can go home. I'm late for dinner."

Gilbert could tell Lovino wasn't angry anymore. He was still frowning, but he no longer looked ready to murder someone. His eyes had softened. Somehow, Gilbert felt that the sulky pout on his face would easily melt into a smile if he just knew what button to push.

"Okay, see you next time!" He had only wanted to cheer Lovino up a little, but strangely enough, he was in a better mood himself, too. He doubted it was just the wine – Lovino was right, it had been horrible. Normally, he liked helping others because it made them grateful, and he loved the positive attention. Lovino's thank-you had been so subdued it had barely been there, but somehow it lifted Gilbert's spirits more than any gushing praise he could imagine.

He was already on the bus on his way home when his mind came up with a wine-induced thought that he wished he had told Lovino. Even if Feliciano was the better dance out of the two, Lovino clearly had the better ass. Surely hearing that would cheer him up some more.

Hehe, maybe next time.

* * *

The third lesson went better than the first two combined. Something had clicked between them, and Lovino didn't seem to openly despise him anymore. Even though his words were still prickly, Gilbert got the feeling he didn't mean his insults and was just grumbling out of habit. That resulted in them actually making some progress, and by the middle of the lesson, Lovino deemed him semi-decent at waltz.

"You'll never be great, but at least you won't be an embarrassment to yourself," he said.

"Does that mean we're ready to try tango again?"

"Ugh, if you want to. But like I said, it's more difficult. Last time was a disaster."

"Not fair! Last time, you weren't even trying to teach me anything! You didn't even notice I was there."

"Like I could just forget about someone like you! I mean... you're so annoying!"

Gilbert did his best to focus as Lovino explained the basics of the dance to him once again and showed him what he was supposed to do. Even though he was actually trying to learn something this time, he found it was harder to focus than when they had been last doing this.

Now that he was sober, he was thankful he hadn't told Lovino any of the stupid things the wine had made him think. It was bad enough that he remembered them. He couldn't tear his eyes from the way Lovino moved. He realised he'd soon have his hands all over him, and he suddenly hated himself for the inappropriate images his mind was force-feeding him.

"You okay?" Lovino asked as he took his hand. "You're sweating bullets."

"I'm fine! I'm just super excited about this! I love tango! It's simply the best!"

Lovino gave him a weird face but didn't question him. They started out slowly so that Gilbert could get used to the steps and how to lead. He stumbled every now and then, not because the dance was too difficult but because he couldn't help but be distracted by the feeling of Lovino's body against his, or his voice when he gave him instructions, or the way he nodded in approval when he did something right.

Fuck, he couldn't believe this. He was having the hots for his dance teacher, simply out of the blue like this. It so wasn't part of his plans.

As soon as he became aware of this, the situation got even worse. Suddenly, he was much more aware of Lovino's hand on his arm and the way he stepped between his legs at a regular pattern. It took much of Gilbert's self-control not to show on his face just how much he wanted to pull him even closer, kiss him, and maybe even move his hands down to explore that nice ass he was yearning to touch.

"Okay, let's try the dip."

"Huh?"

"The dip! You know, if you want to show off, which I bet you do! This is a little difficult for a beginner, so let's do it slowly."

"Oh... okay."

"Right, let's try a simple one. You have to move back your leg, and then support me on your knee."

Gilbert did so, his thoughts alternating between how he didn't want to drop Lovino and how awesome it would be to kiss him right then and there, like in a movie.

"Lower, idiot. And what's with you all of a sudden? You're totally stiff."

"Haha, I'm fine! See?" And he brought them both as low as he could so that Lovino was pressed between his knee and chest, and at first he thought he was doing great, but then he realised it was _too_ low. He had to hold on tight to Lovino or he'd drop him, and he didn't think he could pull him back up. "Looks like we're stuck."

"You can stay that again." Lovino's face was red, which Gilbert guessed was because his head was so down. "You had better put me on the floor or I'll break my back."

Gilbert did so and then wiped his sweaty hands on the back of his trousers, feeling a little stupid. He hoped Lovino hadn't noticed just what an effect their closeness was having on him and that his own body wouldn't betray him even further. It would be embarrassing to interrupt the lesson to explain why his dick was suddenly pressing against his teacher's thigh.

"Don't dip anyone if there's tango at the wedding," Lovino said. "Or actually, don't dance it at all. Stick to waltz."

"I still have time to learn! There's a week until the wedding."

"Yeah, but this was your last lesson, remember?"

Oh. Oh, shit. Gilbert had forgotten about that. When he walked through that door and left, he'd have no reason to see Lovino ever again. And that was suddenly not okay with him. He wanted to get to know him better and find out if there was any chance that –

"Normally I'd recommend a few more lessons, but I guess you'll be fine. Just don't try to pull any stupid tricks," Lovino continued, not looking at him as he went to pick up his hoodie so that he wouldn't get cold after the exercise.

"You know, I actually feel like I should totally have more lessons! Just in case! But you probably don't have any slots free before the wedding, and afterwards it would be pretty pointless, right? Man, this sucks, haha..."

"You look really fucking depressed all of a sudden! You think you're going to screw up? What happened to all that confidence?"

"It's not exactly that, but –"

"A-anyway!" Lovino cut him off, grabbing a tiny pocket calendar from under his hoodie and throwing it at Gilbert. "You suck so much that I knew you'd beg me for more lessons, so I left a few slots free. Check whether they work out for you."

"Wow, really? You did that for me?"

"Yeah, but like I said, only because you suck."

"Awesome! Now we can keep dancing together! I mean practising!"

"Hmph! Like it'll do you any good."

"I'm sure I could become a master if I worked hard enough! I'm great at everything I try!" Though, he was in no hurry to become brilliant at dancing yet. Because then he'd have to stop taking lessons.

"Hey! Hey, you two!"

They both turned to look when they heard Feliciano call out to them from the entrance. He waved with both of his hands and rushed over with a big smile on his face.

"Lovino, guess what! Guess what the physiotherapist said!"

"Probably something good since you're acting like you've eaten a bag of sugar."

"Yeah! She said my knee is okay, so if I take it slowly, I can start training properly! Maybe I can dance professionally again next year!"

"Just make sure you won't have another accident like that because I won't spend another second listening to you cry and whine and being at your beck and call like some damn servant."

"Hehe, I'll be careful!"

Gilbert watched Lovino throughout the conversation and searched for signs that he was upset. They hadn't talked about his family or his problems ever since that night with the wine, but he knew Lovino couldn't be over them. If he'd had his whole life to build them, maybe he'd never be. But he didn't seem at all resentful over Feliciano's fortune, so maybe the problem wasn't that he was bitter towards his brother but towards himself.

"Anyway, I don't know if I can work so much at the studio if my career picks up again. Is it okay if you teach fewer private lessons and take over some of my groups?"

"Well, I –"

"Thanks! I knew I could trust you!"

"I didn't say –"

"I'll go and call Grandpa! We should celebrate today!" Feliciano began to bounce away, but he turned back one more time. "Bye, bye, Gilbert! See you later!"

Lovino groaned in frustration when his brother was gone and hid his face into his hands.

"He's such an idiot! He never listens!"

"Hey, look on the bright side."

"And what's that?"

"He wants to give you more responsibility at the studio. He thinks you can handle it, so you should have more confidence in yourself!"

"That means nothing. Feli would ask a hippo to teach here if he got the chance."

"And you need to trust yourself more! You're great! You dance really well, I'm sure you're a pretty good brother no matter how much you grumble, you wear nice clothes, you haven't punched me yet even though I get on your nerves, and you look really se... uh..." Shit, shit, shit with him and his big mouth! "Secretarial!"

"Secretarial?"

"Yeah! I bet you could handle all the paperwork for the studio by yourself!"

Fuck, was that a tiny smile tugging on Lovino's lips? Had he guessed what he had almost said? Gilbert hoped not; he wasn't yet ready to confess that he was interested. Despite his endless boasting, his track record in the world of dating and love wasn't actually all that impressive. Other people seemed to have great difficulties appreciating his amazing personality when they were exposed to it for a longer period of time, so he had been turned down more times than he cared to count.

Though he usually preferred an all-out attack, he had decided to try a stealthier approach with Lovino. He had to find the perfect opportunity to ask him out, and he already had a great idea. He'd do it when the last lesson was ending because surely Lovino would be overtaken by the realisation that their time together was over and would be ecstatic that Gilbert wanted to keep seeing him.

He wanted everything to go perfectly, so he spent a great deal of time preparing for that final lesson. He forced Ludwig into practising with him so that his moves would be especially sharp when he faced Lovino. He bought a red rose he could give him when it was time for their last tango. Such a passionate move would surely sweep Lovino off his feet!

"Just what are you up to this time?" Ludwig asked when Gilbert showed his notes to him.

"I'm going to invade someone's heart tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I thought you wanted to pick someone up at Francis' wedding on Saturday."

"Change of plans! I've already set my eyes on someone. I just have to convince him to go out with me, but I'm sure that's going to be pretty easy. He seems to like me."

Ludwig took another look at the notes. "Your dance teacher? I don't want to discourage you, but when you have a professional relationship like that with someone, of course they're polite and nice to you."

"Pfft, Lovino is the opposite of polite and nice!"

"Doesn't that just make your odds even worse?"

"No, it means he feels so comfortable around me that he can be himself! You'll see! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

Unfortunately, it was only an hour later that Gilbert got a call that flushed all of his great plans down the drain. At first he was happy since the caller was Lovino, but as soon as he heard what he had to say, his day was ruined.

"Listen, we've go to cancel tomorrow's lesson."

"What? Why?"

"I told you Feli is an idiot. He went and booked a session with his old coach and shoved his dance group into my hands. It's easier to cancel your lesson than an entire group's, so it can't be helped."

"But what about me?"

"I said it can't be helped!"

"The wedding is this weekend!"

"You'll be fine. You've improved a lot since we started. You don't need that last lesson. I'll make sure they refund your credit card."

"But I wanted to –"

"Bye!"

And then Lovino hung up on him, leaving him staring at his phone.

"Is something wrong?" Ludwig asked.

"Ludi! It's not fair!" Gilbert whined. "Lovino is mad, and he's taking it out on me! He cancelled my lesson!"

"You can always book another one."

"It's not the same! I wanted to ask him out tomorrow. Now I have to wait until next week because I'm helping prepare the wedding on Friday, and the ceremony is on Saturday."

"If he wants to go out with you, it shouldn't matter whether you ask him tomorrow or next week."

"It matters to me! I wanted to ask him right away! The flower I bought is going to die!"

Ludwig had a point, though. Even if he had asked Lovino the following day and even if he had said yes, Francis' wedding wouldn't have left him with any time to go out with him anyway. It was just that Gilbert hated his plans going to ruin, especially since his convenient excuse to see Lovino was now gone. He would have to sign up for another lesson and explain why he still needed one even though the wedding was over. Lovino would guess that he just wanted to see him again, and that would be uncool. Would he go out with him if he thought he was that desperate?

"You always tell me to look on the bright side, so you should do the same," Ludwig said.

"Kind of hard to see one here."

"If he's upset that he had to cancel your lesson, that means he was looking forward to it, right?"

Gilbert needed only half a second to consider it. "Yes! Of course! Ludi, you're the best! That has to be it! Now he thinks I'm not coming ever again, so of course he's mad. Hehehe, I'm going there in person to sign up for another lesson next week. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

In fact, this was even better than his original plan. Lovino would be all heart-broken and resigned to the fact that their paths would never cross again, so he would super, _super_ overjoyed when Gilbert marched in. He'd just have to stay patient through the weekend and put his new plan into action on Monday.

Thankfully, there was the wedding to distract him. Francis had hired a wedding planner to make everything go smoothly, but that didn't mean there wasn't still a lot to do and check. Even though the work wasn't very physical, Gilbert was nevertheless exhausted and ready to sleep for a week by the time the morning of the ceremony dawned.

He caught some sleep in the church before Francis and Michelle exchanged vows, had two cups of coffee when they moved to the hall where the celebration was and finally began to feel awake enough to enjoy the day. He was among the first to congratulate Francis and his new wife, but he didn't have much time with them before he was pushed aside by other friends and relatives.

"Well, I can't be the centre of attention _every_ day," he mused, crossed his hands behind his head and began to look around in search of Antonio. The two of them were responsible for one of the entertainment numbers that were coming up, and it might be a good idea to go over the details one more time.

It took him a while to find his friend – usually, Antonio wore bright colours, but today he was in black like everyone else – and when he did, he surprised him from behind with a pat to the back.

"There you are! Are you trying to hide from me or something? Hope you aren't going to chicken out!"

"No, no, everything's going as planned. But oh, I want to introduce you to someone. Wait just a minute."

Antonio rose on his toes and spent a moment looking around until he began to wave at someone among the guests. Gilbert followed his gaze until he spotted a very familiar figure marching towards them, holding a glass of punch and with his face scrunched up in annoyance.

"Just what the hell are you making such a racket for? I said I'd be right back!"

"Don't be mad! I want you to say hello to a friend of mine."

"I'm not some fancy pet you can show around! But whatever, I'm –" Lovino's words were cut off when he finally turned his attention from Antonio to Gilbert and realised that he was there. He closed his mouth with a click of his teeth before speaking again. "Just what the fuck are you doing here?"

"No, what are _you_ doing here?"

"He came with me," Antonio said, and Gilbert could feel his heart turn into an iron weight and drop to the bottom of his stomach with a plop. Oh, fuck. This had to mean...

He cleared his throat and let out what he hoped sounded like a happy bark of laughter. "Oh! So, in that case, you two are... you know..."

"No!" Lovino said, and his face was suddenly very red.

"Lovino's an old friend of mine. He just moved to town with his brother and started a dance studio some time ago. I've been meaning to find a chance to introduce him to all my friends, but he's been too busy," Antonio said.

"I thought you were coming here with your new boyfriend? What was his name again?"

"Lars? Yeah, but he got called to work at the last minute, and I decided to bring someone else since Francis and Michelle paid so much for the catering service."

"Oh. Oh! Wow, well that's great. I mean, too bad about Lars, but –"

Lovino gave Antonio a push and began to shove him away. "Go and get me punch!"

"But you already have some."

Lovino emptied his glass with one gulp and shoved it into Antonio's hand. "You think that's going to be enough if I have to be around this asshole all day?"

"You two already know each other? Then I'll let you have a chat. Gilbert, do you want punch, too?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll be right back!"

For a moment, Gilbert and Lovino just glared at each other.

"You didn't tell me you were coming to the same wedding!" Gilbert said.

"How was I supposed to know it was the same? Summer is a popular time to get married! And it was just yesterday that Antonio told me I have to be here!"

"Wow, it's a pretty small world, huh? Who would have thought we'd be friends with the same person?" Gilbert brushed some imaginary dust off his sleeves, unable to stop a grin from spreading on his face. "Hehe, for a moment there, I thought you two were a couple."

"As if. He's not my type."

Awesome! Lovino had said not his type, not that he wasn't into guys.

"Not your type, huh?"

"You don't have to look so damn smug! There's nothing wrong with being single!"

And here Gilbert had thought it couldn't get any more promising.

"And besides," Lovino continued, "I'm not seeing anyone hanging onto your arm either. So don't go around thinking I'm a loser or anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it. But you know what?"

"What?"

"Now that we're both here, you're getting the honour of dancing with me tonight!"

"And what makes you think I'll do that?"

"Come on! Don't I look great in this suit? If you don't hurry up, all the other people here are going to line up and steal all my dances! And that would suck because I really want to dance with you."

Lovino huffed and crossed his arms on his chest. "Fine. I guess I had better make sure you haven't already forgotten everything I taught you. But I swear, if you embarrass me, I'm forcing you to take more lessons!"

Gilbert couldn't help but laugh. "I would have signed up for more anyway. But don't worry; I've changed my mind about that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! See, this is my plan. First I'll sweep you off your feet with my awesome dance moves today, and when you're still dazed by all of it, I'll ask you out and get a positive answer! How's that?"

"Not going to work."

Oh. Well.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to come up with some stupid plan to ask me out. In fact, I'm just going to save us both some time and ask you first because it looks like you're just talk and no action!"

"That's not fair! You asked only after I had already said I wanted to ask you, so you knew I'd say yes! There was no risk!"

"Can you stop being dumb for a second? People are staring!"

Gilbert shut his mouth and realised that he didn't really have any reason to complain. He had achieved just what he had wanted, and even faster than planned. Once that notion dawned on him, he was sure he'd burst from excitement if he didn't get to let it out somehow.

"Woohoo! Let's see where Antonio is with that punch!" he announced, grabbed Lovino by the arm and began to pull him away. Or rather, that was what he had in mind, but it turned out Lovino didn't need to be dragged anywhere – he was following him on his own, blushing furiously and muttering to himself about how everyone was going to think he was an idiot by association.

"But I guess I'm used to it, what with the dumb brother I have. This can't be much worse," he concluded.

"There you go! That's exactly the kind of positive thinking I've been hoping to get out of you. Now would be a good time to smile since you just caught yourself the hottest man in the room."

"The most annoying one, too."

Gilbert didn't mind Lovino's grumbling. Nothing could have ruined his good mood at that moment. Sure, he had only got him to agree to one date, but it was the first step over the starting line, wasn't it? He was sure things would only get better from here.


End file.
